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Wednesday, 1 February 2017

Leylin Vixen's Quick Draw Recap - Supernatural 12x09 First Blood

First Blood

Opening words

That was a pretty long Hellatus. I thought it would never end and I am so glad our show is back! The boys were left in a horrible predicament the last time we saw them. They were captured and nobody knew about it. Also Cas lost the woman that was carrying Lucifer’s child. So, things were looking pretty grim. One of the series I like is Prison Break so I was excited to see how the Winchesters would take care of the same kind of situation. Also I was interested to see what Cas and Mary would do and what will happen with the Nephilim. I just feel that something is brewing under the surface and soon the rug will be pulled from under us. “Prepare to feel the pain!” Is the name of the game.

The story starts when Castiel finds out that Sam and Dean has vanished in thin air and he calls to Mary. After that we got a brief history lesson or so called rap sheet from Rick Sanchez to agent Camp, and that the Winchesters tried to kill the president. The boys' arrest will be kept secret and only few people will be on need to know basis. Camp suspects Sam and Dean could be part of a bigger organisation but Sanchez just wanted to shoot them because of their crimes. Camp visits both boys and he decides to use the isolation and time tactic on the very quiet prisoners and not torture.

Meanwhile Mick Davies is reporting how he was trying to recruit an American hunter called Wally and that did not work at all. Mary finally found herself in the bunker and she gave Castiel a piece of her mind. That extreme reaction was only because she was feeling guilty herself because she left her sons. Cas answered the same to her. They didn’t call because Mary was out. Time passes by in the government facility and the boy’s isolation worked its magic. Cas tried to get Crowley to help but he just said that they would handle it themselves and that he pities the fools that had them.

Mary continued to feel guilty so she was checking the journal of John before she got a call from Alicia Banes which was meant for Dean. She decided to help. Later she met Castiel at a bar. Castiel felt lost without Sam and Dean because they are usually the ones that are calling all the shots. Mary tried to make him feel better but it didn’t work.

Things were not going well in the facility. Next time the food came the jailer noticed that Sam was out cold. He tried CPR but it didn’t work. Sam was dead. He went to get Sanchez and Camp and they went to Dean. He was dead too. Sanchez and Camp argued about the interrogation tactics. The Winchesters didn’t stay dead for long. They escaped the prison and called Cas. They didn’t know where they were but they found a map and gave Cas some bearings. They were in Colorado.

Mary picked up Castiel and they talked about what to do next. Cas took Mary to Mick Davies and Mr. Ketch. The Brits were surprised and impressed that the boys fought Lucifer and won. Mary continued to be sceptical but the British MOL knew from the details where Sam and Dean were most likely being kept. They said they would use a satellite over the area to find them. Meanwhile Sam and Dean were playing the fugitive and they kept themselves one step ahead from the Special Forces. Dean had a pretty sweet “Taken” badass moment with Sanchez on a Walkie-talkie. Dean: “What we have here is a failure to communicate. We’re not trapped out here with you. You’re trapped out here with us”. They took out the soldiers in Rambo style one by one so that they stayed alive and they finished off with Sanchez and Camp.

Sam and Dean found Mary and Cas and it was a warm welcome where they all hugged it out. The boys found out that the Brits helped them, and the BMoL discovered the boys had left survivors. That didn’t seem to go well with them. The Winchesters and Castiel drove away and the car suddenly died. Billie the Reaper was there waiting for them. It seems the reason that Sam and Dean were still breathing was because of her. They made a deal and a Winchester was needed to bite to dust come midnight. Mary chose that it would be her and she almost did it, but Castiel stopped it by killing Billie. Misha did a terrific performance when he gave us these lines: “What had to be done. You know this world? This sad, doomed little world? It needs you. It needs every last Winchester it can get, and I won't let you die. I won't let any of you die. And I won't let you sacrifice yourselves, you mean too much to me. To everything. Yeah, you made a deal. A stupid deal, and I broke it. You're welcome.”

Meanwhile Mick finished up his report at his motel room to his superiors, revealing that Mr. Ketch had taken care of the loose ends. He killed all the survivors. We also find out that Mary was interested in what the British Men of Letters was offering.

Characters

I think all the key players did great in the story they were given. I did wish though some more action from Mary and Cas. Don’t know why they have decided to put characters to sit around doing nothing when they actually should be doing something. It feels like they are not interested at all what happens to Sam and Dean. I know Cas was lost but still. Also we know hell is bad and the torture the Winchesters went through there was something unimaginable. In my opinion the effect of the isolation was not shown dramatically enough. The deal Billie made did not make sense with what we were given. I understand why and can even see it in my mind but I would have liked to see it more from the boys point of view. To really SEE how they were feeling.

Mick and Mr. Ketch really boosted my interest on the BMOL. Luckily we have good actors to have in those roles. I just feel like they are hiding something big. Hopefully that is the case and I can in a positive manner curse their name. Crowley’s appearance, even though short, was enjoyable. He's back to his old ways. The different point of views of Camp and Sanchez were well shown, but the captors were not shown in a very positive light. Most surprising and short scene that made a lasting impression to me was Wally. Like Asa I liked him immediately. Mick on the other hand didn’t.

Here is the full list of characters:

Mary Winchester

Castiel

Crowley

Billie

Mick Davies

Mr. Ketch

Rick Sanchez

Alicia Banes

Wally

Set design

There is not much to say about set design this time as we didn’t get to see them in detail. The bar surrounding was great, and the cafeteria. The forest looked like Purgatory and that is always a plus for me and the hunting cabin looked like a cabin from horror movies. We had the familiar bunker too.

The biggest set we had was the prison but there is not much to say about it. The place was mostly grey and felt cold, empty. The cells were minimalistic and so was the corridor leading to the cells. Camp’s office was normal bureaucratic dull office and if a morgue can be blander then this prison this one was it. I am not saying it is a bad thing because the look was intentional. Also it reminded me a lot about the angels and also the design of Star Wars.

First blood

Also there was not a lot to tell about props nor costume design so this first recap I will put a little twist to it and write a little about the origin for the episode name “First Blood” (1982). Here is the short storyline description from the site IMDb.

“John J. Rambo is a former United States Special Forces soldier who fought in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honor, but his time in Vietnam still haunts him. As he came to Hope, Washington to visit a friend, he was guided out of town by the Sheriff William Teasel who insults Rambo, but what Teasel does not know that his insult angered Rambo to the point where Rambo became violent and was arrested. As he was at the county jail being cleaned, he escapes and goes on a rampage through the forest to try to escape from the sheriffs who want to kill him. Then, as Rambo's commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman tries to save both the Sheriff's department and Rambo before the situation gets out of hand.” Written by John Wiggins

Funnily enough the Special Forces soldiers were the ones that were hunting the Winchesters and it is easy to see the similarities with Rambo’s escape. First Blood is one of the all time classics that you want to always watch from television when they come on and there is something that clings to you when you do. And I am a sucker for good action movies.

Music

First Blood had three tracks on its playlist this time. If You Want Blood (You Got It) by AC/DC, Ghost Town by The Specials and En el Cielo No Hay Cerveza by Flaco Jimenez. And If You Want Blood fits so well to the theme of the episode and also this part that it was a no brainer to use it.

"It's criminal
There ought to be a law
Criminal
There ought to be a whole lot more
You get nothin' for nothin'
Tell me who can you trust
We got what you want
And you got the lust
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood
You got it
Yes you have”

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